For more Wordless Wednesday Photos, visit 5 Minutes for Moms

These photos were supposed to be posted on last week’s weekly winners.  I was trying to find out who won the contest so I can announce it with the post but to this date I still do not know.  I looked at the newspapers everyday since the contest but there was not announcement (or maybe I missed it).  So this week I decided to call them all winners! These are my Weekly Winners entries. Let me know in the comment section which one is your favorite:

Sand mermaid with coconut boobs

Dolphin and Honu Playing Together

Mother and Baby Whale Princess Having Fun

Dolphin Playing In the Bubbly Ocean

Cool Dolphin with the Shades

Huge Tako - Poke Anyone?

The Whale, The Honu and the Mairman?

It would be interesting to see which one will be picked as A Maui Blog winner on this post.  Please let me know in the comment section below which one is your favorite.  Mahalo!  Also, when you are done voting, I invite you go to Lotus’ blog to visit the participants of the Weekly Winners Meme.  Lots of beautiful photos you’ll find there.

So here is my Aloha Friday question to you – have you been on a helicopter?  Here’s a more specific question for those of you who live on Maui or has visited Maui – have you seen Maui by air?  OK, I haven’t and haven’t  been.  However, looking at the photos here on this post, I am definitely saving some money to ride one!

My friend Kris (a.k.a. @webnelly and @mauibyphoto) has been on a helicopter to enjoy the Maui view.  He highly recommends it. He is from Chicago but this guy has a heart for Maui and has been here many times.  I would definitely listen to his recommendation.  He says do it – see Maui by Air.  Here’s why:  ”Maui By Air” at Flckr are absolutely spectacular!

Now,  as I have told you, I have not been on a helicopter ride but I am hoping to get in one soon.  One helicopter tour operator that came highly recommended is Air Maui. Another friend, Chris, knows it well, and I asked him to write more about it so I can post it here, Here is what he says:

The obvious question is why and how is Air Maui a different Maui helicopter tour? They have more than a decade of a perfect safety record and their pilots are experienced and friendly. While other companies might boast the same thing, Air Maui’s story is truly unique. Young warrant officer Steve Egger returned from Vietnam where he had flown Huey helicopters in combat. He was planning on working his way up from civilian to helicopter pilot working for Air Kauai. But then came September 11, 1992, a significant date for the Hawaiian islands, the day Hurricane Iniki caused devastation and ruin to the island of Kauai. It took time for Kauai’s tourism to recover so Steve’s adaptability and resolve led him to form his own company on a different island, Air Maui.

Whether you live in Maui or you’re a visitor, they have tours on which you’ll see Maui and Molokai through a perspective unlike the one you know or which you have read about in guidebooks. It’s mystical from this perspective— verdant valleys dripping with waterfalls, jagged coastlines and the myriad of ocean blues and greens. You’ll take these visual postcards with you well beyond the time you’re in the air. They’re the only carrier offering a 45-minute experience of West Maui/Molokai, giving you a glimpse of the inaccessible. They share with you the Valley Isle, proud of the 500 inches of rain that give the greenery life.

Ok, so Chris has a lot to say about Air Maui, but I think you get what we mean. And just for added reference, even Oprah flew with it – and we know that Oprah chooses the best.

Maybe on my next post about Maui by Air, I’d be blogging my own experience.  Aloha!

Speaking of Aloha, this is my Aloha Friday post, and many of you knows what that means.  Please do not forget to leave a comment on this post and then visit other participants whose links are found at An Island Life.

* Thanks @webnelly of Kaanapali Dreamin and Maui By Photo for letting me use your photos

Today, August 6th, 2010, Wailuku First Friday is expanding the street party up the block to include entertainment on Main Street fronting the Main Street Promenade building. Pizza and Italian food owner David Giannotto of Giannotto’s Pizzaria is hosting Basic Bounce a live jazz ensemble. Everyone is welcome to rock the night away for Augusts’ Endless Summer bash! The block party starts at 6:00 pm and ends at 8:00 pm along with the happenings on Market Street on August 6. No admission.

Maui Thing is still celebrating its 2nd anniversary featuring another-not-to-miss entertainers, Kimie Miner from Kona Hawaii. Kimie describes her sound as acoustic/soul/reggae. Although her music is built on a reggae cornerstone, it’s accentuated with funk and R&B. Kimie also is quick to acknowledge- edge the Hawaiian undertones in her songs. “Although my musical genre is not Hawaiian it is deeply rooted in Hawaiian music,” states Kimie. “No matter what we as Hawaiian people do we should always have the perpetuation of our culture in mind.”

Kimie honors her heritage through her original songs. Her music is constantly paying homage to the beauty of aloha (love) and the dichotomy of opposing forces. Check out the Maui Things stage.

Café O Lei is opening its doors at 5 pm to 6 pm for a Spanish Wine Tasting and Paella with Jim Powlan for $12 per head charge. And jazz continues with, father and son, Gene and Shea Argel playing outside of Café O Lei. Stroll down the street and Head High a 4 piece rock and roll band to play fun and danceable music at the Wailuku Banyan Tree Park. And at the Wailuku Coffee Store, Gabe and Friends perform to benefits the Arts Education for Children Group.

The Wailuku First Friday event is looking for artisans, handmade crafters and food vendors. A fee of $40 for food vendors with Health Permit, $25 table space for non-food vendors and $20 for non-profits will be assessed each accepted vendor. Contact Teri Edmonds at 249-9710 at If the Shoe Fits on Market Street.

For questions on the event contact 878-1888 or 1stFridayWailuku@gmail.com. Become a fan on Facebook at “Wailuku First Friday” to see what is happening!

Taken today 8-4-10 on my way to work this morning. North Kihei Road.

I was taking a shower this morning when this great idea came to mind. I tell yah, most of my great ideas are conceived in the shower while I am shampooing my hair! Back to that great idea, bear with me as I think this out loud with you.

Most of you know that A Maui Blog also has it’s presence on Facebook.  It now has about 336 fans  (or friends who “like” it).  I enjoy posting photos on it and I also plan on posting events that are coming up on Maui – kinda like “A Maui Blog’s pick”.

This morning (yes, while I was in the shower) I thought … why not use that page to help promote the small businesses on Maui?  Moreoever, why not use it to promote businesses in Hawaii?   Brilliant, eh?  the question is “how?”

Here’s how:

Every Wednesday night I will post a call on my wall inviting Hawaii biz owners who have chosen to engage in social media to share the link to their Blog or FB Page on the comment of that post to introduce themselves to A Maui blog readers.  That way people who are interested on that particular  biz can have this resource readily available.   I am making this up as I go along but I thought it’s better to implement this right away than for me to keep on thinking and overplanning this thing. So, let’s give it a go … let’s just do it.

Oh, before I forget, here is another component of this “promotion”.  I want to keep the posting “by theme” or “business category”.  For example, this week I will invite all  Hawaii realtors to post their links and introduce themselves.  Next week I will invite the foodies (restaurants, chefs, etc.), and then the coming week maybe photographers, then clothing stores, or wedding industry biz.

OK, I think we’ve brainstormed enough.  Please let me know what you think in the comment section of this blog. Feel free to  share with me any ideas you may have to improve this FB Promo for Hawaii Biz by leaving a comment.

After you left a comment, hop on to A Maui Blog. LLC on FB and check it out. If your biz is in line with this week’s theme, by all means, share your link!  Aloooha!

P.S. – I am working on a post “Maui By Air”. I just want you to know that – it’ll be uploaded soon

Gardenia

Pikake

Tuberose

Plumeria

Do you know what’s common among these white flowers aside from it’s color?  All of them a very fragrant.  Each has a distinctive scent that you can identify, all smells so nice.  All of these white flowers  (except for Gardenia) are commonly used for leis.  Which of these white flowers do you prefer or which one is your favorite?

I took the Gardenia shot this Saturday which made it qualified for the  Weekly Winner for this week.  The rest of these white flowers photos were taken on various times.  Want to see more winner pics?   Visit Sarcastic Mom Blog – there’s a link there to see the other participants. Aloha!